WASHINGTON -
The Georgetown University volleyball team (7-15, 1-8 BIG EAST) is set to play two BIG EAST conference matches at home this weekend. The Hoyas will be at McDonough Arena to take on Marquette (18-4, 8-1) Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. and face Syracuse (9-15, 1-8) Sunday, Oct. 28 at noon.

The Hoyas are coming off of a big 3-0 win over DePaul (7-15, 2-7) Sunday. GU had lost their previous 14 matches, but ended that streak with the emphatic win. Sophomore libero MacKenzie Simpson (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) led all players with 24 digs in the all-around team effort. It was the team's first BIG EAST win, first home win, and first win overall since a Sept. 8 sweep of Virginia.

The Blue & Gray also played Notre Dame (15-6, 8-1) last Friday, losing 3-0 to a deep Irish team. Sophomore middle blocker Dani White (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) was a bright spot all weekend, hitting .421 and averaging 3.5 kills per set in the two matches. Freshman Lauren Saar (Plainwell, Mich./Plainwell) also returned to the lineup after an extended absence and played well defensively.

The Golden Eagles received 37 votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, placing them just two spots outside the national top 25. They are coming off their first BIG EAST loss, which came against conference leader and 13th-ranked Louisville (20-3, 9-1) by a score of 3-1 Sunday. Marquette had won 11 in a row before the Louisville match, including a 3-0 sweep of Cincinnati (9-14, 7-3) last Friday.

Senior right-side hitter Holly Mertens was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this week for her strong weekend. Mertens hit .472 and averaged 4.43 kills per set. She had 18 kills on 25 attempts and just two errors against Cincinnati. Georgetown lost last season's meeting 3-0 in Milwaukee.

The Orange have lost their last five, including a pair of sweeps last weekend versus Louisville and Cincinnati. Gosia Wlaszczuk had 14 kills on .345 hitting against Louisville. Silvi Uattara leads the Syracuse offense, averaging 3.54 kills per set on the year, and turned in 11 in the Cincinnati match. GU won last season's matchup at Syracuse in five sets.

Following this weekend's slate, the Hoyas go back on the road to play Cincinnati and Louisville Friday, Nov. 2 and Sunday, Nov. 4. GU's last remaining home match will be Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m.